Ideas

From Madrid to Mexico City, New York to Nairobi, Shanghai to Sao Paulo: insiders pick hot spots in these hot cities

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Ever wondered where you might see revolutionary graffiti* in Cairo? Or been at a loss to find a Cuban cafe con leche** in New York City? Or really needed a beer in Madrid*** but wanted off the tourist-beaten track? Wonder no more. Our recent series profiling interesting innovators who live and work in cities around the world included a list of their favorite places in that particular metropolis. Below, a collection of annotated maps — just click on the pins to find out more about a  location. So, the next time you find yourself in Shanghai or San Francisco, consult these maps for insiders’ tips on where to head.

* on Mohammed Mahmoud Street in downtown Cairo.

** at Floridita in West Harlem.

*** at La Nieta Carmela, in the La Latina neighborhood.

Robin Nagle’s New York City, U.S.
[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=203204314292117941975.0004e68e78652a26692e3&t=m&source=embed&ll=40.760261,-73.916702&spn=0.249647,0.439453&z=11&output=embed&w=640&h=480%5D

Read the profile of Robin Nagle, trash anthropologist and long-time resident of New York City »

Check out Nagle’s favorite — unexpected — locations throughout New York’s five boroughs, in a gallery photographed by Ryan Lash »

Jason Sweeney’s Adelaide, Australia
[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=203204314292117941975.0004e705dbb0da51ffbe1&t=m&source=embed&ll=-34.92366,138.604031&spn=0.067559,0.109863&z=13&output=embed&w=640&h=480%5D

Read the profile of sound artist Jason Sweeney, and find out why he describes Adelaide as “a prototype for what a developed city in the western world could be” »

See Sweeney’s favorite spots — and hear them in recordings made just for TED — in the accompanying gallery of Adelaide, photographed by Kristin Alford »

Gabriella Gomez-Mont’s Mexico City, Mexico
[googlemaps https://maps.google.com.mx/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=204612685314432807238.0004e7c3588157a5eb296&t=m&source=embed&ll=19.399573,-99.177017&spn=0.155439,0.219727&z=12&output=embed&w=640&h=480%5D

Read a profile of Gabriella Gomez-Mont’s life and work in “that beast of a city,” Mexico City »

And, see some truly fine-looking restaurants, cafes, quiet spots, museums and oases in this gallery of Mexico City, photographed by Felipe Luna »

Iñaki Romero Larrea’s Madrid, Spain
[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=212119781877021638380.0004e7f161cbd4f2c8299&t=m&source=embed&ll=40.437802,-3.702049&spn=0.125427,0.219727&z=12&output=embed&w=640&h=480%5D

Read the profile of Iñaki Romero Larrea and find out more about the young architect’s dreams of building a better Madrid »

And, see the young urbanist’s favorite places (including a great place to head for a beer at the end of a long day) in this gallery of Madrid photographed by Vanessa Gonzalez »

Khurram Siddiqi’s Lahore, Pakistan
[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=211440806195084702266.0004e8e08bd62fc5be9e6&ie=UTF8&t=m&source=embed&ll=31.536116,74.305687&spn=0.140456,0.219727&z=12&output=embed&w=640&h=480%5D

Read the profile of Khurram Siddiqi, telling the tale of his ongoing quest to turn Lahore into an easily-navigable city »

See the bustling streets and existing signage systems that make navigation such an issue, in a gallery of Lahore, photographed by Khurram Siddiqi »

David Li’s Shanghai, China
[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=203204314292117941975.0004e96ae8bb95eefeee3&t=m&source=embed&ll=31.21794,121.494884&spn=0.070466,0.109863&z=13&output=embed&w=640&h=480%5D

Read the profile of David Li, and his aspirations for his flourishing makerspace in Shanghai »

And, see the business district, Pudong, the Museum of Contemporary Art and other must-see spots in the city, in a gallery of Shanghai, photographed by Lawrence Wang »

Bahia Shehab’s Cairo
[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=203204314292117941975.0004e9fa9377acbc631ed&msa=0&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=30.020949,31.316528&spn=0.285373,0.439453&z=11&output=embed&w=640&h=480%5D

Read the profile of Bahia Shehab’s Cairo, including her thoughts on the revolution »

See images of Shehab’s treasured places in the Egyptian capital, including Tahrir Square, in a gallery of Cairo, photographed by Ohoud Saad »

Juliana Machado Ferreira’s São Paulo, Brazil
[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?gl=us&hl=en&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=205761226413510827708.0004e94135a6baeef2743&t=m&source=embed&ll=-23.558323,-46.694984&spn=0.15106,0.219727&z=12&output=embed&w=640&h=480%5D

Find out more about Juliana Machado Ferreira’s life in São Paulo, including the places she goes to find peace and quiet amid the urban bustle »

And, see some of Ferreira’s favorite places, including a cool cinema and a great place to get junk food, in a gallery of São Paulo, photographed by Alessandra Fratus »

Juliana Rotich’s Nairobi, Kenya
[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=211440806195084702266.0004eaacf5713f1f739a8&msa=0&ie=UTF8&t=m&source=embed&ll=-1.293359,36.794758&spn=0.082376,0.109863&z=13&output=embed&w=640&h=480%5D

Read the profile of Juliana Rotich and find out more about her life and work as a technology entrepreneur in Nairobi »

Want to pick up the best chapati in town? Fancy admiring some baby elephants? Head on over to this gallery of Nairobi, photographed by Joshua Wanyama »

Danny Squires’ Christchurch, New Zealand

Read the profile of Danny Squires, who describes living in a city suffering from earthquake-induced PTSD »

See how the city is rebuilding after the devastating earthquake of 2011, in this gallery of Christchurch, photographed by Clayton Prest »

Nurur Rahman Khan’s Dhaka, Bangladesh
[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=205761226413510827708.0004eb75dfe26ef0a73a1&ie=UTF8&t=m&source=embed&ll=23.740726,90.391731&spn=0.075425,0.109863&z=13&output=embed&w=640&h=480%5D

Read Nurur Rahman Khan’s description of creativity, complexity and adda in Dhaka »

And, see the accompanying gallery of photographs of Dhaka, photographed by Mohammad Tauheed »

Chris Downey’s San Francisco
[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=211440806195084702266.0004ec90025a251a82e8a&ie=UTF8&t=m&source=embed&ll=37.780077,-122.429752&spn=0.065124,0.109863&z=13&output=embed&w=640&h=480%5D

Read the profile of Chris Downey, describing his life as a blind architect in San Francisco »

And, see the accompanying gallery of the experience of navigating San Francisco, photographed by Marla Aufmuth »